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Help me understand the Cardas line of ICs

I'm a little confused by Cardas ICs. From their web site it would seem the top of the line cable is the Golden Reference, then the Neutral Reference, followed by the Golden Cross, yet if the prices I am seeing here on A'Gon are accurate, it would seem the Golden Cross is 'better' than the Neutral reference.

So what's a 'better' cable; the Golden Cross or Neutral Reference?

I put the Neutral Reference cable between my pre and amp and very much like the air surrounding the highs as well as the softening (without loss of detail) in the highs. Would the Golden Cross give me more of that than the Neutral Ref? How about the Golden Ref?b
mdomnick

Showing 3 responses by mdomnick

mdomnick OP
332 posts
 
dam, i just bought a pair of GCs. Well, I'll give them a try and see what I see. I can always sell them if I don't like them. Thanks for all your help guys.

m-
mdomnick OP
332 posts
 
Will do smithy. From all the reading I have done it may be right for me. My only question is I have also heard others state the Monarchy can be a bright DAC. I bought it with the intent of someday buying the Kora Hermes II or Bel Canto, but that purchase is a long ways off, so I won't know what a new DAC will do for me for some time.
mdomnick OP
332 posts
 
I got my Golden Cross cables and immediately hooked them up. I can't say I heard a huge difference, nor one for the better over the Neutral Ref. A little disappointed by this, I listened for a few hours, then hooked up the Neutral Ref and jotted down what I thought when listening to Joan Osborne's cd Relish and track St Teresa. I wasn't trying to compare the Neutral Ref to anything, just listening to them. Here's what I wrote:

1) could use more bass (turn my sub up)
2) would like more open highs (sounded muffled at the time)
3) semi-sweet highs
4) good center stage presentation regarding her voice
5) Mids could be better
6) good sound stage (instruments were placed around my room)

Then came Golden Cross. I again wasn't trying to compare the two, just writing what I heard, but I admit, some comparison went on:

1) Smooth highs
2) semi semi sweet highs (gives ya that tingle in your ear)
3) Big center sound stage
4) good overall soundstage
5) i like the mids. excellent transition from mids to highs

I like the GC and will keep them. I’ll try swapping them with my Acoustic Zen’s Silver Ref and use the silver between pre and amp, and gc between dac and pre.

m-
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